1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a browser which realizes to expand various embedding data processing functions by using a plug-in system. The present invention also relates to a communications apparatus using a plug-in system. Moreover, the present invention relates to a plug-in module control method using a plug-in system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the browser, various embedding data exists in the contents to display, and a plug-in system is used to perform processing corresponding to each data form of the various data. In the plug-in system, a specific data form is associated with a plug-in module for processing the specific data form. The processing is executed by judging a data form to be processed by a browser and by calling a plug-in module corresponding to the data form.
Regarding the plug-in system, the technology of the plug-in automatic re-configuration has been disclosed in which a plug-in module is not added to a browser in advance, but a plug-in module is downloaded when necessary in order to add a function. As an example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications JP2001-142711, JP10-124415, and JP2001-175377 can be cited. In the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP2001-142711, it is described about a configuration of a browser for built-in equipment, where a plug-in module to be added is searched and called when a browser finds designation of the plug-in module in analyzing contents received from the outside. Moreover, it is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP10-124415 about a way of acquiring a parameter for browser extension based on a tag specified in the contents and installing a required plug-in module by dynamically searching a network. In the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP2001-175377, it is described about a way of reconfiguring a form and a function of a browser by checking whether required information exits in a terminal or not based on a script written in the contents and downloading data when necessary.